Rick Scott is likely to win the Senate race in Florida. So why is he undermining faith in democratic institutions? Our view

If there were a recurring nightmare for Democrats, it would probably involve repeatedly driving past a road sign that reads: “Welcome to Florida.”

As in 2000, the vote in the Sunshine State is painfully close, in this case for the marquee state offices of governor and senator. As in 2000, the state is in the middle of messy recounts. And, as in 2000, the Democrats are more likely than not to come up on the short end.

In the closer of the two races, term-limited Republican Gov. Rick Scott held a pre-recount lead of 12,562 votes in his bid to oust Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson. Only the discovery of a major voting machine error during the recount process could erase a lead of that magnitude.

But it has been Scott who has flown off the handle in the days since the election. As his election-night lead of nearly 57,000 began to shrink, he declared war on the election process in parts of the state that supported his opponent.

Scott accused Democrats of committing election fraud and demanded investigations of vote counting in Palm Beach and Broward counties. He filed lawsuits that, among other things, demand voting machines be impounded and votes tabulated after last Saturday be tossed out. (Nelson has sued, as well, demanding that mail-in ballots postmarked before Election Day be counted.)

These unwarranted accusations — echoed and amplified by President Donald Trump — only undermine faith in democracy. The day that citizens see elections as something other than impartial exercises in vote counting is the day that despots gain a foothold.

To be sure, there are valid points to be made about the lack of transparency and competency levels of certain county elections commissioners. For Republicans, just getting an estimate on how many ballots remain has been like pulling teeth. But there is no evidence of election fraud.

Florida’s slowness in counting votes is hardly unique. A week after Election Day, key races in Arizona, California, Georgia, Maine, New York, Texas and Utah were yet to be called.

With the possible exception of Georgia — which has notoriously harsh voting laws and a gubernatorial candidate who, as secretary of state, oversaw his own apparent election — there are few legitimate grounds for complaint.

The slow and frustrating counts are easy to explain. Elections take place with outdated equipment and mostly volunteer workforces.

State governments, moreover, have made matters worse by adding to the work load. In Republican-controlled states such as Florida, this means restrictive laws that increase the number of provisional ballots and complicate the process of validating them. In liberal California, it means laws requiring localities to bend over backward to make sure every valid ballot is counted.

The ongoing recount in Florida evokes 2000 and likely makes Democrats wince. Let’s hope the spectacle doesn’t become the beginning of something else — the end of Americans’ faith in the sanctity of the ballot box.

USA TODAY's editorial opinions are decided by its Editorial Board, separate from the news staff. Most editorials are coupled with an opposing view — a unique USA TODAY feature.